Aging Gracefully? Health Insurance Dubious About Senior-Centric Primary Care System
Medical professionals operating within the healthcare sector
According to the new political coalition, Germany's sick and patients should mostly go through the family doctor, who will then refer them to specialists as needed. However, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) expresses skepticism towards this primary care system for everyone. Instead, they believe it's more useful for the elderly.
The KBV chairman Andreas Gassen speaks out against the widespread implementation of a primary care system for statutory health insurance patients in "Bild." The system could be beneficial for older patients, says Gassen, but there's no fixed age limit for its applicability. Around 50 years seems appropriate, he explains, when many people have already begun medical treatment for various health issues.
The coalition plans to implement a "compulsory primary care system" through family and pediatricians, improving the allocation of appointments and making referrals to specialists as necessary. The system excludes eye doctors and gynecologists.
The Green Party's Take
The Green Party's health expert, Janosch Dahmen, supports the guiding concept but also calls for relief for family doctors. "A mandatory primary care system can help—but only if it's done right," says Dahmen. He advocates for family doctors to have more time through advance payment instead of quarterly billing, more support from independent non-medical practice personnel, and a networked, digital appointment management system. Dahmen also acknowledges the challenges of finding family doctors in rural areas and emphasizes the risk of underprovision if the mandatory requirement isn't met with lasting solutions.
Backed by the General Practitioners Association
The Association of General Practitioners supports the coalition's primary care system plans. The association's chairperson, Nicola Buhlinger-Goepfarth, tells "Bild" that the implementation of the model would mean an additional two to five patients per general practice daily. She notes that patients in a general practice program are better cared for.
Benefits Across All Age Groups, Especially Seniors
Primary care provides several benefits to patients of all ages, such as accessibility, flexibility, and continuous care. For older patients with complex health needs, the system also offers home visits, coordinated care for multimorbidity, and social support. The integration of naturopathy and complementary methods further broadens the system's appeal to various patient groups.
Despite the potential advantages, the KBV and some experts voice concerns about the system's implementation and access to family doctors, particularly in rural areas. It remains to be seen how the primary care system will evolve to meet the diverse needs of patients in Germany.
- The Green Party's health expert, Janosch Dahmen, supports the primary care system but calls for relief for family doctors, advocating for advanced payment instead of quarterly billing, more support from independent non-medical personnel, and a networked, digital appointment management system.
- The Association of General Practitioners supports the coalition's primary care system plans, with the chairperson, Nicola Buhlinger-Goepfarth, stating that the implementation of the model would mean an additional two to five patients per general practice daily.
- Primary care provides benefits across all age groups, especially seniors, offering accessibility, flexibility, continuous care, home visits, coordinated care for multimorbidity, social support, and the integration of naturopathy and complementary methods.
